Despite the ongoing evolution of text communications, the year 2024 is expected to bring significant changes to the way businesses utilize texting for marketing, sales, and enhancing audience experience. Key factors driving this evolution include the adoption of RCS by Apple, the increasing role of AI, the decline of third-party cookies, and the expanding opportunities in the OTT space.
Apple’s adoption of RCS, expected in the summer of 2024, will have a major impact on the text marketing landscape. RCS, which is set to replace SMS as the standard communication system, will offer businesses more control over their branding and messaging. It will enable features such as custom colors, call-to-action buttons, image carousels, enhanced security, and group text conversations, opening up new possibilities for engaging with customers.
The integration of AI into text messaging is already making businesses more productive and responsive. AI-powered features are improving productivity, personalization, response times, and close rates for customers. The speed and asynchronous nature of text messaging, coupled with AI capabilities, allow businesses to respond to leads and customer support concerns more efficiently. The use of generative AI for sales and customer service is becoming increasingly common among organizations.
With the phasing out of third-party cookies by major tech companies like Apple and Google, businesses need to adapt and focus on leveraging first-party data for targeted campaigns. This shift in the privacy landscape presents an opportunity for brands to better understand their customers through channels like text communication. By utilizing text messaging for data collection and engagement strategies, brands can gather valuable insights from their audience in a more organic way.
The rise of OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp, Meta’s Messenger, and Google Messenger has attracted over 3 billion users, making it a crucial channel for businesses to reach their audience. As Apple establishes RCS standards and with the release of iOS 18 in June, the integration of OTT standards and capabilities will become essential for seamless communication across touchpoints. Multichannel inboxes and chatbot integrations will enable businesses to engage with customers in a more personalized and efficient manner, driving the need for deeper integration of text messaging into omnichannel strategies.
Overall, the future of text communications in 2024 is set to be dynamic and transformative, with advancements in AI, RCS adoption, the decline of third-party cookies, and the growth of OTT messaging apps reshaping the way businesses interact with their audience. By embracing these changes and leveraging the opportunities they present, businesses can enhance their marketing and sales efforts, improve customer engagement, and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.
